First Challenge of the Year

Name & Location: Clarissa Henderson in Omaha, NEBlog: I don’t have one (yet)

How long have you been sewing: Dabbling 10 yrs/Seriously 2 yrs

Why did you want to commit to The Sew Weekly Challenge: I’m a busy mom/wife/college student. I love to sew, but sometimes put it on the back burner. I want to commit to the Sew Weekly Challenge to make more time for sewing and learning new skills.

What do you love most about sewing garments: When I first started sewing garments I loved the outcome. I couldn’t wait to get through the process to the other side where a bright, shiny new wearable garment was waiting for me. However, now that I’ve been sewing for a while I understand that the process really dictates whether that bright, shiny garment will ever see the light of day. I love knowing that the inside of my clothing is just as pretty as the outside.

What do you hate most about sewing garments: I hate cutting our patterns and pattern pieces. Blechk!

What do you want to accomplish this year with regard to the challenge: With each challenge I want to create more wearable everyday pieces. I tend to lean towards the costumey side of vintage. I love a reason to dress up, but that’s not always practical.

Your biggest non-sewing goal of 2012: Be comfortable in my own skin. This means making a commitment to move and stretch more.

What are your favorite sewing/fashion blogs: I follow a lot of blogs. Here a few that I check everyday.

The FactsFabric: 100% cotton for the outer and lining fabricPattern: I used the bodice from New Look 6910
and the skirt from Simplicity 4070Year: 2011Notions: regular zipper, hook and eye and thread of courseTime to complete: 3 daysFirst worn: July 2011Wear again? Yes! I have and willTotal price: patterns $2, fabric $12, notions $5 for a total cost of $19

I had wanted a cotton floral dress for a long time and when I saw this fabric I knew what it was destined for. The bodice isn’t dissimilar from the other pattern, but the neckline is lower. Sometimes high necklines make me feel like I’m choking. In addition to combining the patterns I really took my time finishing the inside of this dress. the side seams are finished with french seams. The waist is faced with pink satin ribbon, and the zipper seams are sealed with lace hem tape. It’s nice when the inside of a garment is as nice as the outside. I’ve noticed that finishing the inside of a garment is crucial to the outside looking polished and professional.

About the Sew Weekly

The Sew Weekly began as Mena Trott's attempt to document the process of sewing all of her own clothes in 2010. In 2011, four other contributors (Debi Fry, Adey Lim, Veronica Darling & Sarah Gabbart) joined her and for 52 weeks, they sewed based on a particular weekly theme. In 2012, The Sew Weekly became a much larger group blog with over 130 contributors sewing along each week.